Coating method and coating apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus is described for coating a flexible substrate with at least a first organic layer and a first inorganic layer. The apparatus comprises a first and a second chamber and an atmosphere decoupling slot between the first and the second chamber. A printing facility is arranged in the first chamber, for printing the flexible substrate with a mixture comprising at least one precursor for a polymer, oligomer or a polymer network and a polymerization initiator. A curing facility is arranged in the first chamber, for curing the deposited mixture, therewith forming the at least first organic layer. A vapor deposition facility is arranged in the second chamber, for depositing the at least first inorganic layer at the substrate provided with the at least first organic layer. The apparatus comprises a facility for guiding the flexible substrate along the printing facility, along the curing facility and via the atmosphere decoupling slot along the vapor deposition facility.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for coating a flexible substrate with at least a first organic layer and a first inorganic layer, the apparatus comprising
 a first and a second chamber, 
 an atmosphere decoupling slot between the first and the second chamber, 
 a deposition facility arranged in the first chamber, for depositing a curable mixture, the curable mixture comprising at least one precursor of a polymer, an oligomer or a polymer network and/or an initiator of polymerization, 
 a curing facility arranged in the first chamber, for curing the deposited mixture, therewith forming the at least first organic layer, 
 a condensation channel arranged between the first chamber and the atmosphere decoupling slot, the condensation channel being configured to cause vapors from the first chamber to condensate before the vapors enter the atmospheric decoupling slot, 
 a vapor deposition facility arranged in the second chamber, for depositing the at least first inorganic layer, the vapor deposition facility including a cooling drum arranged inside said second chamber, 
 a facility for guiding the flexible substrate from the second chamber via the atmosphere decoupling slot to the first chamber, wherein the at least first organic layer is applied at the at least first inorganic layer, characterized in that the length L of the atmosphere decoupling slot divided by the height of the atmosphere decoupling slot is in a range between 100 and 5000. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the depositing facility is a printing facility. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the printing facility is a contact printing facility. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere decoupling slot comprises one or more evacuation channels that are coupled to an evacuation device. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere decoupling slot comprises one or more pairs of cylindrical rollers between which the flexible substrate is guided. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere decoupling slot has a height in the range of 1.5 to 5 times the thickness of the flexible substrate. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the printing facility is a slot die printing facility.